Melissa Data Awarded Patent for Distance Matching Technology

Unique Proximity Innovation Improves Matching of Customer Records in Global Data Quality Tools

– Melissa Data, a leading provider of global data quality solutions, today announced the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has awarded the company patent #9,262,475 for proximity matching technology used in its global data quality tools and services. The patent features an algorithm enabling distance criteria to be used in matching customer records, capitalizing on latitude, longitude and proximity thresholds to help data managers eliminate duplicate customer contact data. Customer communications are improved and mailing costs are reduced based on the ability to confirm that a home address and post office box indeed belong to the same individual; the technology can also match buildings with different addresses, using proximity to identify different entrances common to large campus-type facilities.

“Address data can be nuanced and complex, particularly on a worldwide scale where data is not standardized or consistent. By enabling geographic proximity as criteria for matching, we’re helping data stewards solve a longstanding data quality challenge – establishing a single version of the truth for each of their customers. Users can employ a smarter, more globalized method for matching customer records, better protecting business operations, mailing costs and customer satisfaction,” said Marc Bernier, Melissa Data’s director of Massachusetts research and development. Matching previously relied on street address-based algorithms, where matching contacts needed to exist at the exact same location.

In contrast, Melissa Data’s innovation enables matching based on location-based attributes; this allows the detection of matching records at different addresses but within a specified distance to each other, for example matching a contact’s residential address to their post office box. Melissa Data’s proximity matching technology is integrated into MatchUp, the company’s flagship deduplication engine, available as an API, desktop software or plug-in component for Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) or the Pentaho platform. Initial capabilities include U.S. address data, followed by data from Canada and Europe.

For more information, visit www.MelissaData.com or call 1-800-MELISSA (635-4772).

About Melissa Data

Since 1985, Melissa Data has specialized in contact data quality and address management tools with a global perspective. The company’s solutions help organizations capture and maintain international customer contact data at the point of entry, ensuring accurate customer information enterprise-wide. More than 10,000 clients worldwide in arenas such as retail, education, healthcare, insurance, finance, and government, rely on Melissa Data for full spectrum data validation software and services. For more information or free product trials, visit www.MelissaData.com or call 1-800-MELISSA (635-4772). Follow Melissa Data on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. # # #

CAPTION TEXT: Melissa Data’s patented technology enables location-based matching, including records with different addresses but within a specific distance. Proximity calculations match customers to addresses as well as PO Boxes, and also match buildings with different addresses by identifying multiple entrances common to large campus-type facilities.